Michigan reform district could add schools as early as January

Dec. 10, 2013

State Superintendent Mike Flanagan said that although many more schools should be placed in the Education Achievement Authority, 'placing schools in this statewide district is an extraordinary step to take, and we want to make sure it's done right, and every consideration is taken.' / Ed Haun/Detroit Free Press

Written by

Chastity Pratt Dawsey

Detroit Free Press Education Writer

State Superintendent Mike Flanagan announced today that more failing schools will be placed into Michigan’s reform district in 2014, possibly as early as January.

The announcement comes as the reform district for the lowest-performing schools — the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan — faces a host of challenges: a 22% enrollment decline, a board member resignation, as well as anti-EAA campaigns led by lawmakers and educators. Also, lawmakers are expected to vote on a bill that could give the EAA powers similar to other school districts but limit the number of schools it can operate to 50.

Earlier, Flanagan had said that by the end of this year, fewer than 10 additional schools would be placed into the EAA, but he has not given a definitive number.

A 2009 law allows schools ranked in the lowest 5% — called priority schools — to be placed into a state reform district if they fail to achieve satisfactory results. The EAA was created in 2011 and took control over 15 priority schools in Detroit in 2012. Today, Michigan has 137 priority schools ranked in the lowest 5%.

Flangan said that although many more schools should be placed in the EAA, “placing schools in this statewide district is an extraordinary step to take, and we want to make sure it’s done right, and every consideration is taken.”

The state Senate could take up a bill as early as Wednesday that says a failing school would become eligible to be placed in the EAA only after being ranked in the lowest 5% of Michigan schools for three consecutive years.

The bill also would cap the EAA at 50 schools and allow some low-performing schools to be exempt from being transferred to the EAA if the state reform officer and EAA chancellor agree that the students would do better remaining under the control of the local school board.

State Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, suggested that the Senate might consider targeting elementary grade schools to be placed in the EAA.

“There seems to be some evolving information that the earlier you get involved in a school, the better the chance to turn that school around,” Richardville said.

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The EAA was formed through an interlocal agreement between Detroit Public Schools and Eastern Michigan University. The DPS emergency manager and the EMU Board of Regents are state-appointed. In 2012-13, its first year of operation, the EAA had to use DPS as an intermediary to borrow nearly $12 million to keep afloat financially because it does not have that borrowing authority by law.

Enrollment in the EAA’s 12 direct-run schools dropped from about 8,300 last year to 6,515, state records show. Enrollment at three schools that the EAA authorized as charter schools dropped from about 1,200 to 1,009.

Harry Pianko, chief financial officer for the EAA, said the EAA does not expect to borrow money this year or lay off staff. The EAA budgeted conservatively, then got more donations and federal funds than originally budgeted, he said.

Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood, D-Taylor, said the declining enrollment in the EAA after just one year of operation is proof that parents do not want it. “EAA has proven to be a complete disaster from the moment they opened their doors. The governor seems fixated on it,” he said.

A mass of EMU faculty and students showed up at today’s board meeting to continue to campaign against the EAA. The EAA is not doing a good job teaching students, and EMU is suffering as a result of its involvement with the reform district, they said.